Eye mounting for dolls



July 14, 1925.

L. J. GRUBMAN EYE MOUNTING FOR DOLLS Filed Dec. 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet1 I 5:5 Arm/l4 w IIVI/E/VTOR I60 1 firzlfinzarz,

By I, I ("I M ATTOR/VY July 14, 1925. 1,545,760

L. J. GRUBMAN EYE MOUNTING FOR DOLLS Filed Deb. 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet2 x All! IINVYENTOR Z20] 621157721029 Y B 6.. W

M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE} LEO J'. GRUBMAN, OF NEW YORK, N;Y., ASSIGNOR T L. J. GRUBMAN, INCORPORATE), OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EYE MOUNTING FOR DOLLS.

Application filed December 15, 1928. Serial No. 680,795. I

To all whom it may concern: balls to compensate for this variation inthe Be it known that I, LEO J. GRUBMAN, a distance'between the socketcenters.

citizen of the United States, and a resident It is the primary objectand purpose of of the city, county, and State of New York, my presentimprovements to provide a 5 have invented certain new and usefulImmounting articularly designed for lass provements in Eye Mountings forDolls, of eyes where y the several difficulties a ve which the followingis a specification. referred to are effectively overcome and to 50 Thisinvention relates to an improved eye provide a mounting of suchconstruction mounting for dolls, and more particularly that theretentionof the glass eyeballs with to devices of that character whereinthe eyes their axial centers in absolutely fixed coinare mounted orsupported Within the head ciding relation with the axis of 'osillationstructure of the doll for oscillating or turnis positively assured sothat there will be ing movement so that the eyes ma'y'appear aconcentric movement of the ball surface to open and close in the mannerof the about said axis in the eye socket of the natural eye to therebyprovide what is gendoll head.

erally referred to in the art as a sleeping My present invention furthercom redoll. hends the provision of means which one les 70 Heretofore, ithas not been found feasible the glass eyeball to be easily, quickly andand practical to provide such dolls with accurately assembled in themounting with j glass eyes though eyes of glass are adrelation to theaxis of the latter. This mittedly preferable as they are more realis-'means includes as one of the essential feaj tic and natural inappearance than an eye tures of my invention, a protecting shell. 75 ofmetal or compositlon material. Theprior housing substantially encom marydifficulty has been due to the fact that glass eyeball and whichprovides a means since theglass eyeball is blown into spherienabling theeye lashes to be easily fixed in cal shape, such shape is not alwaysprecisely position simultaneously with securing the 1 the same indifferent eyeballs and there may eyeball in its fixed position relativeto the be slight variations in size and contour. wall of said shell.

Also, at the point where the blown ball is Another important feature ofthis inven- 30 severed from the glass tube there remains tion resides inthe provision of a short protruding neck'or nipple and the means forenabling the eyeballreceiving location of the iris which is painted uponshells to be laterally adjusted and properly the opposite side of theball surface with spaced fromeach other in accordance with respect tothis projecting nipple is not al the space between the centers of theeye Ways coaxially centered with said nipple. sockets in the doll head.

herefore, it has been found exceedingly It is also my purpose to attainthe above diificult, i not practically impossible, to mentioned objectsin a construction involvmount and support such a glass eyeball with ingrelatively few mechanical parts of simits axis of oscillation preciselycoincident ple form so'that the device will at all times 40 with theaxis of the ball. Obviously, any function efficiently and not be liableto get misalignment of the axis of oscillation with out of order, whilethe manufacturing cost respect to the ball axisresults in an eccenofsuchmountin is not appreciably intrio movement of theeye surface.creased over that incident to devices of this A further difiiculty whichhas been encharacter now employedin the art.

countered results from the fact that the With the above and otherobjects in view.

shrinkage or expansion-resulting rom vaseveral parts as will behereinafter more described, illustrated in the accom humidity. In so faras I am aware, prior panying drawings and subsequently incorart devicesof this character make no proporated in the subjoined claims.

vision for relative adjustment of the eye- In the drawings wherein Ihave .illustrated several simple, desirable and practical embodiments ofmy present improvements and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the front portion of a dollhead taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 and illustratingone embodiment of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the dollhead showing the eye mounting in elevation;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure l is a fragmentary section through the doll head takensubstantially on the line 44 of Figure 2 and showing the eye in closedposition relative to the socket open- Figure 5 is an enlarged detailsection through one of the eyes taken substantially on the line 55 ofFigure 6;

Figure 6 is a detail front elevation of the mounting'detached, a partthereof being,

shown in section; v

, Figure 7 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 1 illustrating aslightly modified construction; Figure 8 is a detail elevation of themounting shown in Figure 7 a part thereof being in section; I

Figure 9 is a rear elevation showing another alternative embodiment ofthe device; Figure 10 is, an end elevation thereof; and Figure 11 is aplan view artly in section of the device as shgwn in igure 9.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawingswherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, thedoll head represented at 5'is formed or molded from wood pulp orpapier-mach or other suitable composition material, though it willbeunderstood that the present invention is equally applicable to dollheads of china, porcelain, metal, wood or other materials heretoforeemployed in this art. Further, although in the following description Ishall make frequent reference to an eyeball formed of glass, nounnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom, since many of thenovel features of my present disclosure might be utilized in connectionwith other forms of the eye proper and composed of other materials thanglass.

The doll head 5 is provided with the usual eye sockets 6 appropriatelylocated with respect to the nose and other molded features of the headstructure. Since one of the most important purposes of my presentimprovements it to provide for the accurate setting or mountmg of glasseyes of the movable or oscillating type, I have herein shown the eyeproper designated at 7, in the form of a substantlally p rfect ball orph re, The e eyeballs are blown from the endof a glass tube and at thepoint of severance or disconnection of the hollow ball or sphere fromthe end of the tube a short nipple or protuberance, indicated at 8, isproduced. The wall of the eyeball is not of great thickness so that theball is somewhat delicatezand fragile and must be carefully handled.Upon the peripheral surface of the glass ball opposite the point fromwhich the nipple 8 projects, the, iris 9 is painted.

The improved mounting or setting for the glass eyeballs in which thelatter are permanently fixed, includes the shells 10 of drawn sheetmetal. These shells may be very accurately formed or shaped by means ofsuitable dies so that the shells are of an exact predetermined diameter.The shell 10 substantially encompasses or encloses the eyeball 7 whichis inserted through the rear open end of the shell as shown in Figure 5of the drawings. The wall of the shell 10 at its front end which as willhereinafter Each of the eyeball receiving shells 10 is provided upon oneside thereof with an opening 12 surrounded 'by an outwardly projectingboss 13 which receives one end of a common pivot pin or axis 14. Thesein receiving openings 12 are so located t at the axial center of the pin14 exactly coincides with the axial centers of the eyeballs 7 suchrelation of the axial centers of said eyeballs with respect to the pin14 being determined by contact of the peripheral surface of the eyeballwith the front wall ofthe shell 10 at the lower side of the opening 11therein. It will, of course, be understood that the eyeball 7 is sopositioned in the shell 10 that the center of the iris 9 is positionedprecisely at the point of intersection of the major and minor axis ofthe opening 11. As the ball is moved to its position within the shell,the eye lashes indicated at 15 are interposed between the peripheralface of the ball and the wall of the shell 10 at the upper edge of theopenin 11 so that the eye lashes will. be firmly old in place againstthe shell wall by the eyeball. A suitable cement indicated at 16 is nowpoured into the shell 10 between the rear and side surfaces of the ball7 and the wall of said shell and also contacts withv axis of the eyeballexactly coinciding with the axis of the pivot rod or pin 14.

In this embodiment of the invention, the protecting she ls 10 for theeyeballs are It will of course be the cement has suitably fixed to apendulum. As herein shown this pendulum consists of the two arms orlevers- 17 which are lapped upon each other at one of their ends andloosely secured together upon a stud or pm 19 projecting from one end ofa weight 18. The other end of each pendulum arm 17 terminates in anannulus 20. The wall of each shell 10 at its rear end is slightlyexpanded and clamped around and upon the annulus 20 of one of thependulum arms as shown at 21, whereby said shells are rigidly fixed tothe respective arms.

retaining the device above described in operative position upon the wallof the doll head, I provide upon the inner surface of the latter thespaced horizontally disposed lugs 22.. In arranging thev device inposition, thepin 14 isdisposecl in the space between these lugs, andafter the respective eyeballs have been properly set or adjusted inaccordance with the centers of the eye sockets, a suitable cement shownat 23 is poured into this space around the pivot rod or pin 14. Be-.fore the cement 23 has completely set, the rod 14 is turned or rotatedso that it will not be tightly held by the cement, thus permitting ofthe free turning movement of said rod after the cement has hardened.Also before completely set a pin 24 is inserted through verticallycoinciding open ings in lugs 22 and through the cement rearwardly of thepins 14. y the provision of the lugs 22, the cement block or projectionis relieved of strains due to the'weight of the eye mounting, but in theevent that this cement block should become loosened, it wouldnevertheless be from between said lugs by the pin 24 thus preventing thecomplete detachment of-the mounting from its 0 erative position.

It not infrequently happens that due to variations in temperature andhumidity the wall structure of the doll head will contract or expand sothat in different heads of the same size, the distances between thecenters hf the eye sockets 6 will vary. Such differ ences may be veryslight and may be readily compensated for by a rel the pendulum arms 17so as to move the axial centers of the eyeballs 7 towards or from eachother as may be required. Therefore, since in the manner above describedit is possible to fix the axial centers of the glass eyeballs in exactali ment with the axial center of the pin 14, it will be apparent that atrue concentric oscillating movement of the eyeballs in the eye socketswill be ob- F or the purpose of securely mounting and tained thuspresenting a very realistic simu- I lation of the movement of the humaneye,

understood that the external surface of the walls of the shells 1Q whereexposed through the socket openin s are suitablypainted to represent theeyelitfis.

, mounting turns or swings held against displacement ative movement of.

g In Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings I have shown a slightly differentform of the de vice wherein the pin 14 is dispensed with, and in lieuthereof the wall of each shell 10 is formed at its outer side wlth aconical bearing projection 25 for engagement with a similarly shapedseat or recess 26 in the wall of the head 5. It will be understood thatthe axial center line of each bearing projection 25 also exactlycoincides with the axial centers of the eyeballs so that in theoscillating movements of the mounting with respect to the wall of thedoll head there will be a true concentric movement of the eyeballs inthe sockets.

In Figure 4 of the drawings I have shown the doll in a reclining orhorizontal position and it will be noted that the exposed part of theeyeball and the iris thereon is positioned below the lower edge of thesocket opening and concealed by the wall of the doll head only theeyelashes and the upper forwar part of the wall of the shell 10 beingvisible, thereby representing the eyes closed as in sleep. The pendulumof course at all times maintains a per endicular position, and as thedoll is moved to an upri ht position, the

em the axis 14 so that the eyes move to an open position until theweight 18 of the pendulum. strikes the front wall of the doll head whenthe iris 9 of each eyeball will be visible.

In Figures 9, 10 and 11 I have illustrated another alternativeconstruction, wherein the pendulum is in the form of a rectangular plate27 having a depending'arm 28 carrymg the weight 29. From the body of theplate 27 two lugs 30 are struck which extend at ri ht an les to theplane of said plate in aral lel re ation to each other and equiistantlyspaced from the longitudinal center of the plate. These lugs are adaptedfor engagement upon opposite sides of the cement block- 31 formedbetween the spaced lugs on the head wall as in the constructionpreviously described. In this block the pivot pin 32 is firmly secured,said pin projecting from opposite sides of the block and being engagedthrough the openings-formed in the ends of the lugs 30 so that said lugsmay freely turn thereon.v However, it will be understood that I -may, ifdesired, looselymount the in 32 in, the block 31 and fix the lugs upon te ends of said in.

In this construction, eac ofthe eyeball plate to prevent a casual-slid-I which a s herical e other in order to properly position the eyeballsin the socket openings of the doll head and wherein these glass eyeballsare protected against liability of accidental breakage. Also, it will beseen that the mounting as a whole will be securely held and retained inits proper operative position with relation to the wall of the dollhead. Thus a very realistic simulation of the opening and closingmovements of the human eye will be produced. Further, it will be seenthat in carrying out my present invention, since the eye proper isfixedly held against movement independent of the mounting, the eyelashes are retained in properposition without the use of an adhesivesuch as is usually employed for securing the eye lashes directly to theeyeball. Thus the parts of the device can be easily, quickly andaccurately assembled. I have herein referred to several forms of thependulum whereby an oscillating movement of the eyes is produced whenthe doll is disposed indifferent positions. Other constructions of thependulum .however ing similar results. Likewise the various other detailparts of the invention are susceptible of more or less modification andtherefore thenovel features of my present disclosure are not to berestricted to the precise structural examples herein shown anddescribed.

This invention me be. developed within the scope of the fol owing claimswithout departing from the essential features of the same and it isdesired that the and drawings be read as beingmerely illustrative andnot in a limiting sense except as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim:

1. In ieye mountings'for dolls, an eye receiving shell having an openingthrough e member is adapted to be inserte within t e shell, the wall ofsaid shell being provided with a second opening 0 posed to saidfirst-named opening and t rough which an iris on the surface of the eyemember is visible, the external surface of the shell wall at one side ofthe latter opening therein being colored to simulate an eyelid. p

2. In an eye mounting for dolls, a shell might be devised for secur--specification having a hemispherical end portion and a longitudinalelongation pro ecting from said hemispherical portion and open at itsend, a spherical eye member adapted to be inserted through said open endof the elon gated portion of the shell, said hemispherical portion ofsaid shell having an opening therein through which an iris on thesurface of the eye member is visible, and said eyemember contacting withthe hemispherical Wall of the shell, and means interposed between thewall of the elongated portion of the shell and the eye member topermanently fix the latter in adjusted relation to said opening.

3. In an eye mounting for dolls, a support adapted to be oscillatablymounted on the'wall of a doll head, a shell having a hemispherical endportion and a longitudinal elongation projecting therefrom and open atits end, an eye member insertable' through said open end of the shell,the hemispherical wall of said shell having an opening therein throughwhich an iris on the surface of the eye member is visible, means forpermanently fixing the eye mem\ her with respect to the shell wall andin adjusted relation to said opening, and means for attaching the end ofsaid elongated portion of the shell to a part of the oscillatablesupport.

4:. In an eye mounting for dolls, a shell open at one side, an eyemember insertable' into the shell through said open side thereof, thewall of the shell also having an opening therein in opposed relation tosaid 0 en side of the shell and through which an lllS on the surface ofthe eye member is visible, said eye member adapted to be adjusted incontact with the shell wall to osltion the iris thereof with respect/tothe atter opening, and means for permanently fixlng the 'eye memberwithin the shell in such adjusted position.

- 5. In an eye mounting for dolls, a shell open at one side, an eyemember insertable into the shell through said open side thereof, thewall of the shell also having an opening therein in opposed relationsaid open side of the shell and through which an iris on the surface ofthe eye member is visible, said eye member adapted to be adjusted incontact with the shell wall to position the iris thereof with respect tothe latter opening, eye lashes interpgsed between the surface of theeyemem r and the shell wall at one edge of said opening, the exteriorsurface of the shell'wall adj acent the latter eye receiving sockets, aneye mounting com- 1;

prising a pendulumhaving pivotally eonthe wall of the wall of with t eshell wall adjacent' one si e of said said adjustable parts whereb saideyes may be adjusted in accordance with the distance between the centersof the eye sockets, and means for suspending the pendulum from dollhead. n an eye mounting for dolls, a sup- .port adapted to beoscillatably mounted on the wall of a doll head and having an eyesupporting part, a spherical eye member, a shell enclosing the majorportion of the eye member and having an open side through which the eyemember is adapted to rea bearing for engagement against part of thesupport whereby oscillatory motion is transmitted to the eye member, thewall of said shell having an opening therein opposed to the open side ofthe shell and through which an iris on the surface of the eye member isvisible, and means' closing said open side of tl1e shell and permanentlyfixing the eye member in adjusted position therein.

8. In combination with eye receiving-sockets, an eye mountingoscillatably supportedupon the head .wall including pivotally connectedparts, a shell fixed upon each of said parts, said pivotally connectedparts being relatively adjustable to position said shells with respectto the eye sockets, each of said shells having an opening at one end, aneyeball fixed in each shell and provided with an iris portion visiblethrough said opening, and an axis for the mounting supported upon thehead wall.

9. In combination with a doll head having eye receiving sockets, an eyemounting I e inserted, said open side of the shell sentin a doll headhaving lncluding a pendulum consisting of armspivotally connected toeach other at one of their ends, an eye member mounted'upon the otherend of each arm, said arms being relatively adjustable to position saideye members with respect to the eye sockets, and an axis connecting thelatter ends of the arms with each other and mounted upon the the dollhead. v

, 10. An artificial eye for dolls comprising an eye member having aniris on the surface thereof, a shell open on one side for the receptionof the eye member therein and the wall of said s ell having an openin oposed to the open side thereof throu finch the iris of the eye member isvisib said e e member having bearing contact said opening, and meansclosin the open side of the shell and coactingwitfi said eye member topermanently fix the same in adjusted relation to the shell.

11. In combination with a doll head having eye sockets, an eye mountitherefor including a pendulumsupportmg the spaced eyes for movement insaid sockets,

an eye proper upon each of and means for suspending said pendulum fromthe head wall comprising spaced lugs Erojecting from said well, an axisdisposed etween said lugs and supporting the pendulum for oscillatingmeans for retaining said lugs.

movement, and a axis between said 12. In combination with a dollheadhav- 7 mg eye sockets, an .eye mounting therefor including a pendulumsupporting the spaced eyes for movement in said sockets, means forsuspending said pendulum from the headwall comprising spaced lu 'ectingfrom said wall, an axis disposed etween said lugs and supporting thependulum for oscillating movement, a plastic material filling the spacebetween said lugs around said axis, and means for preventingdisplacement of the plasticmaterial from between said lu c p 1 13-. Incom ination with a doll head having eye sockets, an eye mountingtherefor including a pendulum supportin the spaced eyes for movement insaid soc ets, means for suspending said pendulum from the head wallcomprising spaced lugs projecting from said wall, an axis disposedbetween said lugs and supporting the pendulum for,

oscillating movement, a plastic material filling the space between saidlugs around said axis, and an anchoring in extending through the lugsand said p asticmaterial to. prevent displacement of the latter.

14;. In combination ing-spaced eye sockets and a pair of lugs proetweensaid sockets, an eye mounting consisting of a support and spaced eyemembers on said support for en agement in the re-. spective eye sockets,said lugsbeing located in planes on relatively opposite sides of ahorizontal line connecting the geometrical axes of the eye members,

a pivot rod for said eye mounting adapted to be inserted between .'sa1dspaced lugs and adjustwbly positioned in proper relation 7 to locate theeye members to the respective sockets, curing said pivot rod in sition.

' 15. An artificial an eyeball having thereof, a protectin eyeball isenclose opening in its wall portion of the e and means for-sesuchadjusted poeye for dolls comprising an iris on the surface shellwithinwhich said said shell having an through which the iris eball isexposed, and a plastic material lling the interior of the shell betweenthe surface of the eyeball and the shell wall to secure said e shall infixed relation to the wall of the shell 16. An artificial eye for dollscomprising an eyeball of blown glass havin an iris on the surface thereoa protectln shell within which; said eyeball is enclo said shell havingan opening in/its wall through which the iris portion of the eyeball isexwith a. doll head hav {Oecting from the inner side of the head wall sproposed, eye lashes having an edge thereof interposed between thesurface of the eyeball and one edge of said opening and clamped againstthe wall of the shell by the eyeball, and means fixedly securing theeyeball and the eye lashes in permanent relation to the shell wall.

17. An artificial eye for dolls comprising an eyeball having an iris onthe surface thereof, a protecting shell within which said eyeball isenclosed, said shell harn'ng an opening in its wall through, which theiris portion of the eyeball is exposed, eyelashes having an edge thereofinterposed between the surface of the eyeball and one edge of saidopening, and means for securin the eyeball in fixed relation to the wall0 said shell.

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

LEO J. GRUBMAN.

